The United States confirms its insistence on extending the mechanism for entering aid into Syria for one year
The United States confirmed today, Friday, that it is insisting on extending the mechanism for the entry of humanitarian aid into Syria through the Turkish border for a period of 12 months, considering it an “essential matter.”
An official at the United States Mission to the United Nations said that UN agencies and humanitarian organizations believe that the 12-month extension of the mechanism is “essential to its work to deliver aid in a secure manner while the protracted operations to find aid continue.”
The US official added that “this is the moment for the UN Security Council to make its move and its members work together.”
Russia opposed the extension of the mechanism for a period of 12 months, and proposed to the Security Council to extend the operation of the Bab al-Hawa crossing for a period of 6 months only.
The Security Council is expected to vote on a draft resolution for aid transfer mechanism into Syria on Friday.
It is noteworthy that the mechanism was created in 2014, when aid was transferred through 4 crossings, and in subsequent years 3 of them were closed. Russia calls on Russia to stop this mechanism and transfer humanitarian aid in coordination with the Assad regime and through the territories it controls.
